1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an animal training apparatus and control method thereof, and more particularly to an animal training apparatus which applies spray deterrents to a dog, according to key selection of a remote transmitter, by a stimulus delivery mechanism provided in a receiver affixed to the collar of the animal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to correct an undesired behavior of an animal, especially a dog, it has been used an electrical animal training apparatus or a containment apparatus in general comprises a collar mounted radio receiver worn on the animal and a radio transmitter.
The radio transmitter transmits desired signals to the radio receiver which in turn applies an appropriate stimulus to the animal, such as a good tone/bad tone, electrical stimulation, vibration, citronella spray, etc.
In the case of a receiver which applies an electrical stimulation to an animal, the receiver unit typically includes a pair of electrode probes which are engaged with threaded terminal posts extending from the receiver unit and through the collar.
An electrical potential is applied between the electrode probes resulting in electrical current flowing through the skin of the animal. A strong electrical stimulation may hurt the skin of the animal or shock him mentally.
In order to avoid application of an electrical shock to a dog, as an example, there are known in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,453 an animal training apparatus that releases cold fluid onto the skin of the animal and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,376 an appliance for dissuasion of a dog from barking by an irritant sprayed onto or into the vicinity of the dog's nose.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,490 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,760 disclose an apparatus for controlling the barking of pet dogs by varying doses of the spray deterrent and period of spray time according to animal's response to previous deterrent attempts.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,664 discloses an apparatus that includes a conventional visual indicator for providing a visual representation of the selected corrective stimulus intensity level and emits a corrective stimulus consisting of an electrical stimulus coupled with an audible warning sound. The visual indicator represents a selected stimulus intensity level to a trainer.
In the spray control bark collar disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,490, the apparatus includes an indicator designed to give the animal trainer a warning when the deterrent reservoir is getting low before the reservoir becomes empty.
Obviously, if the reservoir is empty, then the spray control bark collar does not serve an effective deterrent. The method according to the prior art involves resetting a counter when the reservoir is filled. As the deterrent is applied, a counter is incremented to keep track of either the number of or the total time of the application. The counter is monitored and when a threshold value is reached, a low reservoir warning signal is produced.
The method measuring a low level of deterrent material by a counter has a problem in that it needs a complicated device for counting the number of application whenever the deterrent is applied.